One More Night
by rileypotter17
Summary: Hermione and Sirius were blissfull newlyweds until Harry Potter was killed, after which their marriage slowly spirals out of control. How much courage do they have to make it work? Or is the challenge too hard to overcome this time around. Inspired by the song "One More Night" by Maroon 5
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This story came about when plot bunnies invaded my thoughts during the writings of one of my other current stories "The Two Halves of Hermione Granger", I did not want any of this to happen in that fic, so I started this very short one. It will probably be three chapters tops, and was mostly inspired by the song "One More Night" by Maroon 5, which if you haven't heard, listen to it if you can before reading! Following quote is from the song.**

"**You and I go hard at each other like we're going to war,**

**You and I go rough, we keep throwing things and slamming the doors"**

"Sirius, I'm home!" Hermione called out as she walked into Number 12 Grimmauld Place late one Thursday night. It had been an awful day at the Ministry and all she really wanted was some tea and to go to bed.

"Sirius?" she called out again, pocketing her wand after setting down her handbag and walking into the study. There was her husband, dead asleep on his desk with an empty glass and an empty bottle of firewhiskey next to him. Hermione cursed to herself as the tears came unbidden and unwelcome into her eyes. She left his study, closed the door and walked up the stairs to the room she shared with him, throwing herself on the large bed and sobbing. She hadn't let herself cry like this since it all started happening. But what with her job getting threatened that morning and now coming home to the house she had grown to hate with a husband who was passed out drunk; she just couldn't stand it anymore.

She rolled over onto her back, looking up at the chandelier on the ceiling of their bedroom. That room used to be her favorite place. It was the place her and Sirius made love, and cuddled and talked and shared a life. But now she didn't even know the man who she seldom shared that bed anymore with. She felt utterly alone.

She wiped her eyes as she thought back to a year ago. It was the happiest time of her life. She was twenty-six and standing in the most gorgeous wedding dress in the Weasley's backyard. She was surrounded by all of her family and friends and she was giving her vows and her life and her heart to Sirius Black for the entire world to see. After the second war, Hermione had finished school and started working at the Ministry as the new Secretary for Muggle Relations. Harry and Ron worked there too, and she got to spend her days with her two best friends. And they all slowly grew up. Harry married Ginny, and they had their first baby James. And Ron had married Luna. And once again she was single—focusing almost entirely on her career when Sirius Black walked into her life as more than just Harry's Godfather.

They had always flirted casually, but one day he walked into her office at work and suggested they just give it a try, asking her out for dinner that night. They had fallen in love so quickly, and a ring was on her finger six months later. And six months after that she was saying "I do". Looking back at it now, it seemed quite surreal.

It wasn't that she didn't love Sirius now, in fact, she loved him so deeply it hurt. But she just didn't know if it could work anymore.

The first six months of their marriage was pure bliss. She had always thought he would never renounce his bachelor habits, but he supported her and she supported him and he finally grew up. He brought out the playfulness in her and she brought out the responsibility in him. They were a perfect pair.

And then Harry had been killed.

No one saw it coming. There had been rumors that Voldemort's remaining Death Eaters were rallying, but no one really believed it. Everyone wanted to move on. Harry, Ron, and Draco worked as Aurors at the Ministry during that time when Lucius Malfoy finally went crazy and struck Harry down in cold blood on a Monday afternoon at the Ministry. It was the day all of their lives changed forever. Harry was no longer protected by any love or Horcrux. And he had just been having a conversation with Remus Lupin when he was struck by the curse, falling into his former Professor's arms as the entire Ministry turned on Lucius.

He was now in the highest security cell at Azkaban. But it didn't change the fact that Harry Potter was still dead.

The weeks after were mind numbing. Hermione still could remember his funeral as if it were yesterday. She could smell the wet earth that was dug up around his grave. He was buried next to his parents in Godric's Hollow and hundreds attended. Sirius himself placed Harry in the grave. Hermione cried for a week straight, often holding Ginny as his wife had refused to eat and could barely stand, she was such a shaking, sobbing mess. The entire Wizarding world mourned, but it was nothing compared to how they all felt inside. Part of each of them died that day.

Hermione closed her eyes and remembered Draco sobbing over Harry's freshly filled grave, begging his headstone for forgiveness and apologizing over and over again. It broke her heart. Hermione tried to be strong for everyone else, but it cut her to the core knowing she had lost her best friend in the entire world.

But life had moved on, and after a few months, everyone had picked themselves up and tried to continue without him. Ginny found her peace and her joy in baby James. Ron found his solace in his new bride. But the one man Hermione needed had turned away from the world entirely.

It had started off slowly at first. Sirius just became drawn, didn't want to leave the house, or talk to anyone. He cried alone in his study or the library often, and Grimmauld place, which Hermione had tried her best to make homey after their marriage, quickly became solemn and neglected.

She threw herself into her work and sometimes they wouldn't speak for days. She no longer knew how to console him. He blamed himself and he blamed the world and he was angrier than she had ever seen. They got into horrible fights. And then he had started drinking.

It was so bad as of late that nights like these weren't uncommon. Harry's death had destroyed Sirius to the point of no return. She had tried to make him happy as his wife, but she no longer saw the twinkle in his eye when he looked at her. He looked like the living dead.

About a month ago, she and George had started seeing each other secretly. It was mostly common knowledge now to the rest of their friends and since Sirius didn't seem to give a fuck what she did and had never mentioned the few times he saw George leave Grimmauld place in the mornings when he was nursing his terrible hangovers.

George still missed his twin, and wasn't and would never be over that blow. And he was newly single, nursing heartbreak from his longtime girlfriend Mary. It was just sex, and companionship. It gave her something and someone to turn to on particularly hard nights.

As she rolled over once again on her side, Hermione thought of going to George, but she just didn't have the energy. With her current mental state, she would probably just end up blubbering all over him.

Summoning the last bit of energy left in her emotionally drained body, she got up from off the bed and started to strip off her work clothes to change into pyjamas. She tried her best to avoid looking at the picture of her and Sirius on her nightstand. It caught her eye every time she was like this and pulled her back to a happier place, a place that renewed the will in her to help him and to try and fix him.

It was taken in the South of France, on their honeymoon. They were on the beach and Sirius had her in his arms, twirling her around on the sand. She was laughing happily.

As she slipped on her camisole, she reached over and tipped the picture in its frame on its front so she wouldn't have to look at it before crawling into bed and hoping that sleep would overcome her.

**00000**

"Do you have any plans for the day, love?" Hermione asked Sirius across the breakfast table the next morning. She hesitated to add the endearment at the end of her sentence, but had done it anyway. There was no doubt that she loved the man sitting in front of her, but this morning she hardly recognized him.

The circles under his eyes were darker than usual and his hair had grown grayer in the last six months than Remus' had altogether. He simply just looked tired, and much, much older than his 47 years.

"No," he said curtly. So he was mad, Hermione deduced. She should have known by the way he was shoveling his breakfast into his mouth, but she had just thought it was from his hangover.

"Well, I should be home by seven, I'll make us dinner," she replied softly, trying her best to refrain from being confrontational. Sirius' famous temper had grown in the last six months, and when they fought it was terrible and brought out Hermione's innate stubbornness.

"Would you like to invite George?" Sirius asked, looking up at her, the way he pursed his lips after saying the name warned Hermione that they were about to have a fight of epic proportions.

"I'm sorry?" she stalled. He had never once before brought up George's name. For Merlin's sakes the man was drunk 18 hours out of the day, she didn't really think he would notice too much.

"I said would you like to invite George to dinner so I can sit down to a meal with the man my wife is fucking behind my back?" his voice was so calm, lilting in that aristocratic way that he had never quite been shaken of.

Hermione looked dumbfounded; she really didn't know what to say. She stammered for a moment, but suddenly the hurt and emotion came bubbling up from inside her and she couldn't hold it back anymore.

"You haven't bloody touched me or kissed me in five months Sirius, _FIVE months_…what am I supposed to do? I don't love George, alright? I'm sorry…I didn't even think you cared!" she yelled at him, standing up from the table. He shifted out of his chair, standing up too.

"Of course I care, _you're my wife_!"

"Well you act like I don't even exist!" she countered, walking out of the dining room and into the hallway, taking her coat from the hanger and slipping it over her shoulders. He followed.

"The closest thing I ever had to a son is dead, Hermione! I have nothing left to fucking live for!" he roared, pulling at his hair as he paced back in forth in the hallway. She stopped and stared at him, feeling as if she had just been punched in the stomach.

"Nothing to live for…really…" she repeated sadly.

He moved to her, to hug her, but she backed away.

"I have been here for you, every step of the way, but you just hole up in that room and drink all damn day! I thought you would want to live for ME. You married _ME_, not Harry. Ginny married Harry and she's doing just fine. We all have our days but we haven't given up on life like you have. Do you think Harry would want you to be like this? _Do you_?" she yelled. She was thankful their house had all sorts of wards and spells on it, that no one could hear their fights.

"Hermione, please…" he said, softer now. She was desperately trying to fight back the tears.

"I'll tell George you passed along the invitation," she said before walking out the front door and slamming it as hard as her tiny body could.

**A/N: As you may be able to tell, this is not a happy story like some of my others, but reviews are welcomed and wholly appreciated!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you so much for reading. This chapter is dark, but I hope you find it enjoyable. I own none of these characters, just my plot : ) Following lyrics are from "one more night"**

**000**

"**You and I get so damn dysfunctional, we stopped keeping score."**

**000**

"How's Padfoot doing?" Remus asked Hermione before taking a long sip of his scalding coffee. It shocked him and he dribbled a bit down his front. He flourished his wand quickly and made the offending spill disappear.

"If I had the heart to ask for a divorce, I would," she replied calmly. Remus was one of the few people, besides George, that she could talk to about the situation with Sirius openly. She kept things glossed over with the rest of the Weasley's and her work friends. Everyone knew it was bad, they just didn't know how bad it really was.

"Don't give up on him," Remus begged her for the thirtieth time that month. She stopped walking and stood with him in the middle of the ground floor of the Ministry of Magic. People pushed past them, giving them dirty looks as they held up the flow of traffic.

"Remus, he doesn't love me anymore. He told me this morning that he has nothing to live for now that Harry is dead!" she said, raising her voice sharply and Remus pulled her out of the flow of people getting into the lifts. He managed to grab an empty one for them and shut the door; jamming his long finger onto the button for their shared floor and the lift shuddered backwards instantly.

"He doesn't mean it," the werewolf sighed. They had been having conversations like this before work every morning for months now. Never did she have good news to report to her husband's best friend.

"You don't know that…" her voice trailed off as the lift chimed and they stepped off onto the 14th floor of the Ministry, taking their time as they walked together.

"I do. I'll talk to him…alright but you need to cut this bullshit out with George. I'm serious," the tone in Remus' voice harkened back to the academic one he used to use teaching classes. Hermione suddenly found she felt very scolded.

"I found some other woman's panties on the library floor two days ago," she hissed. She hadn't intended on bringing it up to anyone, because she knew she shouldn't be the pot calling the kettle black. But she had been so angry, and still was.

Lupin sighed deeply, closing his eyes for a brief second to collect his thoughts, "You know, this kills me inside. Both of you could have been so great. Tonks and I wanted you two to have a little one, someone that Teddy could grow up with. They could've been best friends just like we were…" the man trailed off, lost in dreams that Hermione once had as well.

"I'm in love with a shadow, an empty shell of a man. There's nothing for me there anymore Remus. I don't feel at home," she started to sniffle but sucked it back. She refused to cry at work.

"I'll talk to him. I'll take the day off tomorrow and talk to him. Have a good rest of your day 'Mione. Try to keep your spirits up," Remus patted her on the arm and smiled at her as they parted and walked opposite ways towards their separate departments. Hermione was greeted by a stack of paper work and an agitated boss. Before she dove into the pile before her, she penned a quick owl to George asking to meet for lunch. His reply came quickly and she settled in, counting the minutes until noon.

**00000**

She met George out front of the Leaky Cauldron and they walked inside together, taking their usual booth in the back of the rather dreary pub. He ordered them some sandwiches and pumpkin juice and then focused on her. They usually had lunch once a week, but this wasn't their usual day. He knew something was wrong.

"Can you come to my place for dinner tonight?" she asked, hoping he wouldn't freak out. But it was George Weasley, it was bound to happen.

"Dinner? At Grimmauld place? I assume Sirius is going to be out?" George laughed. He clearly thought it was her attempt at planning a romantic date night.

"No, erm, he's the one who invited you," she concluded. She knew she was being bitchy about the whole thing; that Sirius had just been mad and sarcastic, but she was at the end of her rope and she wanted more of a reaction from him. More of a reaction about her, to be precise, and not just the loss of Harry.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me. Hermione, you know damn well I've fallen for you, but talking to your bloody husband about it is not going to go over well."

Hermione nearly choked on her pumpkin juice. As far as she was concerned, what was going on with George was pure sex, ten minute post-coital cuddles, and a once a week lunch where they talked about things to keep their minds off their shitty lives. It had only been a month after all. She hadn't expected him to actually fall for her, seeing as he seemed to be still reeling from his breakup.

But she could see the gears turning in George's head. She saw the light in his eyes. George had completely taken over the joke shop upon his brother's death and was now the wealthiest and seemingly most eligible bachelor in London, being newly single. And he was attractive. And much, much closer to her age. Ginny had been making sly remarks about how she approved. How she had always wanted Hermione as a real sister.

"George, no…it's not like that," she looked down and started picking out the lettuce from her sandwich.

He pulled her hands away from the food and held them, looking at her long enough until she finally caved in and met his eyes.

"Then what is it like? We fuck almost every day of the week, and it's so real with you. Why don't you just leave him? We could be together…" his voice was soft as he said it, but she could tell there was a myriad of emotions behind it.

She didn't love George. She loved Sirius, and she probably would until the day she died. She knew there was never going to be a love like what they used to have. George could give her a happy, nice life. But he just wasn't Sirius.

Or was she just deluded? _That_ Sirius had left six months ago and replaced him with the foul person that lived in her once beloved home. Maybe George could be her escape.

"We talked about this. Just sex…" she reminded him. He frowned.

"Yeah, but things change. You're an amazing witch, and an amazing woman. Who would not want you?" he asked. She scoffed, she could think of one person.

"Thank you, but I'm not ready for that. All I'm asking for is you to come to dinner. He knows about you, just like everyone else does. And he invited you over. So please," she asked. He was too nice, almost to a fault, and he agreed.

But it didn't take long before his eyes turned dark; he knew she just wanted to make Sirius jealous. And if he was the man for the job, then so be it. But he hoped, deep inside that Sirius would see how much he cared for Hermione and just let him take care of her. George hated seeing Hermione constantly crying and pining away for a man that was long gone.

"Alright, what time?" George finally acquiesced.

"Seven okay?" she asked. He nodded and the continued the rest of their lunch break in relative silence.

**00000**

Hermione had managed to get off a bit early from work in order to go home and make something of a dinner for the three of them. She stopped by the store and picked up the ingredients for a Bolognese sauce which was Sirius' favorite and some pasta.

She had called out for him when she got home but once again got no answer, and this time she didn't bother to go looking. If she and George were the only ones at the dinner table, then she didn't really mind. Remus had urged her to try and hell she was trying the best she could, especially after the worst morning with him.

Between prepping the dinner, she managed to change into a simple red dress that cut low in the front. She had used to wear it out on dinner dates with Sirius, but it had been shoved to the back of her closet since then. No one could ever say she didn't put in a last ditch effort to save her mess of a marriage; even if she was going about it in a completely childish way.

Sirius appeared in the kitchen moments after she dumped the pasta into the steaming hot water. He walked in lazily, eyeing her up but not saying anything. She kept quiet as well but she was thankful he at least looked semi-presentable in some jeans and a black v-neck shirt.

"You haven't cooked in a while," his voice came at last. She turned and saw that his eyes were glassy from liquor.

"I told you I'd be home to make you something, didn't I?" she couldn't help but have a twinge of annoyance to her voice. He made it so damn easy to be mad at him sometimes.

The doorbell rang and they both froze.

"Sirius could you get it?" she asked as politely as she could muster. It was seven o'clock on the nose.

"Why?"

"Because we have a guest for dinner and I have my hands quite full at the moment…" she explained with a sigh. He looked positively murderous but walked to the door languidly, emphasizing the cocky swagger that she hadn't seen since long before they were married. She continued to stir the pasta and the sauce, focusing on what was in front of her.

"Ah, well if it isn't George Weasley himself," she heard Sirius' booming voice exclaim. There was iciness there, however.

"Nice to see you Sirius, it's been ages," George replied, in a nervous voice. They were back in the adjacent dining room in seconds' time as Hermione busied herself with plating the pasta, flicking her wand and sending three plates over to the dinner table before sitting down herself. She gave George a kiss on the cheek.

"So what do I owe the pleasure of your company?" Sirius asked, easing back into the high backed dining room chair as he twirled some of the spaghetti on his fork. He stared pointedly at George who was sitting across from him.

"Your gorgeous wife said you invited me," George said, not missing a beat, and emphasizing the word 'gorgeous'. Sirius looked thoroughly pissed.

"I guess I did," he mumbled, remembering back to that morning. He hadn't expected Hermione to really make good of her word.

Hermione had not expected it to be this hostile. She half thought that Sirius would be in such a drunken stupor that he would've been passed out on the couch hours ago. But it was really happening and she had no plan. And Sirius wasn't drunk, just buzzed enough to be an asshole. Suddenly, George's hand was on her thigh, squeezing her just below the hem of her dress. She gasped a little. It didn't go unnoticed by Sirius.

As they all ate their meals, the tension just built in the room until it was nearly unbearable. Sirius kept shooting Hermione and George dirty looks and George kept massaging her thigh in an unbearably hot way which was distracting considering how confused and angry she was.

"So how was your work day love?" George turned the conversation to Hermione, who blushed. Sirius dropped his fork on his plate with a loud 'clang'.

"Busy, ridiculously busy, my boss was on me about these missing case files that I could have sworn I handed over to Patricia," Hermione ignored Sirius' pouting and ranted about her day. Not like Sirius would know who any of those people were because the two of them hadn't talked about her job in ages.

George leaned over and kissed her on the corner of the mouth, "Tomorrow will be better," he promised, giving her thigh another squeeze, this time closer to her panty line.

Sirius stopped eating entirely, "Could you please bring yourself to refrain from having sex with my wife at my dinner table?"

Hermione bit her lip. Things had escalated too far. She couldn't believe she had been so stupid as to think this was a good idea.

"I don't respect how you've treated Hermione or how you are handling your marriage. As far as I'm concerned it's been over for a while. And we both know I'm fucking her, so what does it really matter Black?" George asked, clearly ready for a fight. Hermione had never seen him be so confrontational.

And for that matter, Hermione had never seen Sirius possess such self-control in the last six months. Considering he was at least a little inebriated and clearly pissed off, she was surprised he wasn't hexing George or throwing things at him. The animagus just nodded and picked up his fork again, eating another mouthful of spaghetti. George looked just as shaken as she felt, and maybe even disappointed that he would not, in fact, be fighting a man he once very much looked up to.

After a few moments, Sirius finally spoke; "Could you please excuse me for a moment?" he asked with all the politeness and manners of the pureblood aristocrat inside of him, pushing away from the table and standing up, "I need to speak with _my wife_ in private."

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Reviews would be really appreciated, I want to see if you guys like this or dislike this etc, and if you think it has the potential to be longer than just a few chapters. **


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey guys, thanks for taking the time to read this fic! I love you all, and I don't own these characters!**

George looked on edge as Sirius walked out of the dining room and into the large foyer of Grimmauld place. Hermione avoided the red-head's eyes as she slowly scooted out her chair, the legs of it scratching miserably against the floor, and followed her husband.

She closed the double doors to the dining room and kitchen slowly, feeling comforted by the loud click as they locked before turning around the face the rather imposing man standing opposite of her. If it was possible, he looked angrier than he had at the dinner table; having drawn himself up to his full height and regarding her with an impassive look. Hermione was more than a little bit scared.

It took him moments to speak, but in the meantime Sirius was more than capable of speaking with those dark eyes of his that she always found so devastatingly gorgeous. She was momentarily lost in thought about how the part of his body that used to ignite so much pleasure in her, could now scare the living daylights out of her. They were telling her he was furious.

"Is it good with him?" Sirius' voice was so low, a mere whisper in the quiet, dreary hallway. There was anger there, and resentment dripping from his words.

She hesitated, "It's not the same," she finally answered truthfully.

"But does he make you happy?" he continued, and it sounded as if it was painful for him to even ask.

"Sometimes."

"Do you know how humiliating it is for me to have everyone know you are being unfaithful?" his low voice turned into an angry growl and a shudder passed through her. She thought about this very fact often, and sometimes didn't know why she did it. Hermione had always been the picture of loyalty, of fidelity. She supposed she cheated because she wanted him to notice. But it was a poor excuse.

"Of course I know that Sirius. But do you have any idea how embarrassing it is for everyone to know my marriage is falling apart?" she turned it back on him, still trying to keep her voice down, knowing full well that George would be trying to listen.

"You aren't helping matters…" he muttered acidly. Hermione sucked in a breath to keep from retorting something equally stubborn back. When they fought they often got nowhere.

"I miss you," she breathed, "so much." It couldn't have been truer, and the way she spoke it was so honest and innocent. Practically pleading. There she was, Hermione Jean Granger, on her proverbial knees begging for her husband to love her back again. She was exhausted and helpless.

To her great sadness, Sirius didn't answer right away. He just kept staring at her, leaning against the wood-paneled hallway draped with tapestries and staring. Six months ago she would have run into his arms and hugged him. But now there was a wall between them so high that she didn't know if she could ever manage to scale it.

"Is George as good of a lover as I am?"

Hermione couldn't help but give a slight smile at the slightest tone of insecurity in Sirius' voice that gave him away. She had been with the man long enough to know he was a jealous one when he felt threatened. His attitude of cocky bravado was only half natural, after all. As pissed off as he seemed, this question gave Hermione hope that he still cared…even if his pride was just wounded, it was better than nothing.

Against her better judgment, she made a rash decision to goad him, "It's a toss up, I think."

She smirked and took a step forward but her answer didn't get the reaction she had hoped for. Sirius grabbed her arm, pulling her towards him and spinning her so that her back slammed against the wall he was previously leaning against. He stood close to her, but his body didn't touch her. She winced at the harsh contact with the wall; staring up into his burning eyes.

"A toss up?"

"Sirius, you know bloody well there's only one man I want loving me but he refuses to touch me," she replied scathingly. It was the truth, however, and the pain she felt from his rejection caused tears to prick in her eyes.

Little did Hermione know that he wanted her so badly it hurt. He had wanted her the second he saw her in the kitchen in that dress. But George had come over and acted like he now owned her and Sirius' desire only increased. The only reason he was keeping an inch of distance between his body and hers was because he didn't want her to feel it.

Seeing her with another man made him desperate. He finally realized things were almost to the point of no repair, and it was a dire situation for the fact that he was the most stubborn man on the face of the planet.

Her breathing had quickened and Sirius could smell her arousal. Half of him wanted to pin her to the wall right there and show bloody George that she was _his _wife, and the other half of him was still so overwhelmed by sadness and anger that he wanted nothing to do with her.

"Sirius, please just kiss me. Kiss me and I will walk in there and tell George it's over," she whispered. He closed his eyes and sighed. He let his forehead rest against hers as he debated what to do. He wanted her to stay, but he also didn't want it to be this way. He knew he had been the worst husband over the last half a year, but his heart was broken that she had strayed.

"Please," she begged. He felt the tear fall down her cheek as he pressed his cheek against hers. His lips were so close to hers and he longed to taste them again. His body needed her, but his mind warred with him. _He was a Black dammit and he would not put up with that shit._

But then again, she was a Black now too. Technically.

It took all of his willpower to pull away in one quick motion, and that small but powerful movement told Hermione all that she needed to know. The tears started to flow freely as she wrenched away from him and walked back into the dining room. Sirius stood against the wall again, breathing in deeply to try and keep his emotions in check.

"George, let's go," he heard Hermione say through gritted teeth. There was a shuffling of chairs and feet and the pair burst back out through the double doors together; George's arm around his wife protectively.

George stopped and stared at Sirius, who knew he looked like a defeated old man, before saying, "Fuck you Black," and walking out the front door of Grimmauld place with the woman he still loved more than anything in the world. He just didn't have enough in him to show it.

Minutes after the door slammed after them, Sirius went to the cupboard in the kitchen where he kept his firewhiskey and grabbed a bottle, forgoing a glass. He padded up to their bedroom, sitting gingerly down on the cold sheets before cracking open the top of the bottle and taking a long swig of the burning liquid.

**00000**

Hermione, covered in a thin sheen of sweat, rolled off of George after an hour of intense sex. She had literally taken her sadness and frustration out on him, her nails scratching none too kindly down his pale back and her teeth leaving marks on his broad shoulders. He was exhausted and happily sated; whispering sweet things into her ear that she ignored before falling into an easy sleep besides her.

Hermione got up carefully and dressed, finding a bit of parchment in his messy room and writing him a note explaining it was over, and that she didn't want to see him in this way ever again. That she needed to try and make things work with Sirius. And that she loved him as a friend. And thank you, and all of that kind of thing.

It had nearly ripped her heart out when Sirius still refused to touch her, and she had left with George in the hopes that maybe they could start something. But somewhere in between the throes of their now-final romp, she realized that as much as she was thankful for George Weasley, it all had to stop. Regardless if her marriage was over or not.

She penned a second note to Remus telling him that she had broken off her affair, like he had hope she would, in case the werewolf still planned on meeting with Sirius the following day. After those two chores were done, Hermione took off in the middle of the night to her very last resort—the Potter's.

**A/N: Thanks for reading, it is a little short, I know, but I didn't want it to be combined with the next chapter where Remus and Sirius have a talk man to man. So leave me love or concrit!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: So this story is obviously more than three chapters, funny how they end up like that, huh? I hope you guys are enjoying this story. It is a different style than I usually write, but I am enjoying the new pace!**

"Hermione, what in Merlins' name is going on? It's the middle of the night!" Ginny looked scared and exasperated as she came to the door of her small cottage in Godric's Hollow. She was only wearing a night shirt, not having bothered to put on pyjama pants after she had performed a quick spell to reveal who was at the door. Her long white shirt looked to be one of Harry's old undershirts, and it skimmed her pale, freckled thighs as she let Hermione inside. Ginny illuminated some of the lights in the living room, just enough to see by.

"It is so bad…Gin, so bad…" Hermione was at a loss of anything articulate to say, and she gave in and broke down; succumbing to a flurry of emotions on her best girl friends' couch. She sank into the overly fluffy cushions and cried and Ginny curled up next to her and held her there.

"Shhh, 'Mione, tell me what's wrong…I'm so worried about you, please…" Ginny had never seen her cry like this save for Harry's funeral. And even then, the brunette had been reserved; trying to keep her calm for the very same witch that was now reversely comforting her.

"I left George for good, and Sirius and I…I think it's time. I think it's over, for real," she sobbed quietly into the red-head's shoulder, turning the sleeve of her shirt translucent with her tears.

"Don't say that, you are a bloody Gryffindor, we don't give up…" Ginny whispered into Hermione's unruly curls.

"I just can't take it anymore…" she cried harder and it woke up baby James. Ginny cursed and got up from her friends' side quickly, as Hermione looked at her apologetically. She walked down the hall to the baby's room and returned holding him, rocking him back and forth in her arms and cooing softly.

"There, there, it's just Auntie 'Mione," she said softly to the one and a half year old little boy. He looked so much like Harry already and the sight of her 'nephew' made Hermione abruptly stop her self-pity. Ginny relinquished baby James into Hermione's arms and she held him to her chest, bouncing him softly as he slowly started to quiet.

"He loves you, I wish you would visit more," it wasn't said in anger, it was said from loneliness. Ginny really missed her best friend but she knew that taking care of Sirius had spiraled into an emotional full time job as of late.

"I wish I did too, and I will," Hermione promised, kissing the baby's head softly.

"His middle name is Sirius for a reason. Harry loved Sirius like a father and he would hate to know that this is happening to you two right now. He would want Sirius to move on and be happy with you. He supported your marriage more than anyone…"

"I know. I've tried to tell Sirius that but he just won't listen. He's so different," she choked, trying to hold back another round of sobs as she gently gave back the now sleeping James to Ginny. She took the little boy back to bed and returned looking exhausted. Her pretty face had slight bags and her hair was messy in the loose bun she had thrown it up into.

"Has he hurt you?" Ginny asked, sitting on the couch besides Hermione.

"No…I hope he never would, but he has become more violent at times. But tonight he was just cold. I begged him to just kiss me. Just one bloody kiss and he wouldn't!"

"He's the most stubborn man…" Ginny half-smiled. Although she had rallied for George, she always felt a bit awful that she had condoned Hermione's cheating. She had just always been afraid that Sirius might lash out on her, and she would need an exit plan.

"I just want my life back. I want happiness," Hermione searched her friends' eyes and found a flicker of happiness there—she had her family and James. Hermione had nothing but a longing for her dead relationship.

"If leaving him will make you happy, then by all means…but let me get you some blankets, you need to sleep and we can talk about it in the morning," Ginny said, in a very mothering way and moved to get the supplies.

Once Hermione was all set in her makeshift bed on the couch, she drifted off into a sleep filled with dreams of Sirius.

**00000**

"Fucking hell…" Sirius groaned as he opened the door to number twelve at nine in the morning to see Remus Lupin and his son, Teddy, standing on the other side.

"Not in front of Teddy, please," Remus scolded his friend and walked inside the place. Sirius followed them around like a lost puppy, apologizing for the broken chandelier that was now on the floor and the other various messes he had made after Hermione had left the previous night. Remus set Teddy up in the kitchen, giving him some things to color and dragged Sirius to the library, barricading the door and staring at his friend with purpose.

"Why are you here?"

"Because you need someone to give you a kick in the arse and wake you up, and I guess that someone has to be me," Remus sighed. Sirius groaned once again, his head throbbing from a mild hangover.

"I don't want to talk about _her_…" he grimaced.

"Well, I took the day off of work, and I brought my son here to see his Uncle, and he wants to spend time with you badly…but I will not let him until I deem you can handle yourself again, understood?" Remus asked. Sirius sank into his favorite armchair and nodded solemnly. This threat got his attention. He hadn't seen Teddy in five months, and the little boy had looked at him with reproach upon entering the house. He loved the kid, and had neglected him terribly.

"Have you talked to her?" Sirius' voice was a hoarse whisper now.

"She sent me an owl in the middle of the night. She's left George for good. And I can only assume she's staying with Ginny. I doubt she wanted you to know any of that, but I'm your best mate—so full disclosure here," he gave the animagus a half-smile. Sirius looked more than relieved at the news.

"She really left him?"

"She really did," Lupin smiled. It was the first time he had seen Sirius even crack a grin in months, so he didn't mind repeating himself.

"Why she would cheat on me is…."

"Beyond comprehension?" Remus finished, "Not really, Pads. No offense, but you've been quite the shitty husband. And she told me she wasn't the only one who committed a betrayal.."

Sirius sighed, guessing she had found the panties on the floor that he had left there for her.

"Shit Moony, I didn't cheat. I transfigured some of her knickers into slutty ones and planted them so she would find them and only _think_ I cheated. It was the night I put two and two together about George," Sirius admitted.

"Always fighting fire with fire…" Remus smirked, shaking his head at his friend, "Well…although I've been telling Hermione that I did not approve of George, I can see why she went to him. And I know you can see it too."

"I just want her back. And I fucked up last night. Big time. She invited George over for dinner to goad me and then begged me to start loving her again and I didn't…and she left…"

"Stupid man…"

"No need to rub it in mate," Sirius growled, "But I just don't know how I can give her love when I am so empty inside."

"We all miss Harry," Remus reminded him gently, "But he would have wanted you to move on, love Hermione, and start a family…"

"She'll never want to touch me again after what I pulled," he reminded the werewolf, who just laughed.

"Do you even know your wife?"

"Course I do…_I_…"

"You don't anymore. You haven't tried to know her in half a year. So you couldn't possibly know the pain she feels from all of this fighting. It's ripping her to shreds. She's on the verge of losing her job because of it. She's slowly going crazy."

Sirius felt so sick to his stomach. He was slowly realizing that his selfish actions had affected more than one person. Everyone had suffered Harry's death. Had he ever even offered to comfort his own wife? When was the last time he asked her about her day?

"I miss her so badly…"

"I know. And you need to start showing it and growing up and acting like a full grown adult Sirius. For Merlin's sakes you trashed your own house after a little fight! This place is a disaster. You used to be an amazing man, and you have deteriorated into a violent drunk with an unhappy wife and no friends. Think about that," Remus stated harshly. He hated being so cold to his friend, but it was a truth that had to be heard.

"Fuck," Sirius groaned.

"You need to quit drinking. And it's going to be bloody hard. And you need to let Harry go, you need to let it go man," Remus ordered, and his friend nodded. Remus stood up abruptly.

"I honestly thought you'd deck me, with me trying to come in here and say all this to you…"

"I would if I wasn't so damn exhausted from destroying nearly every room in this house…" Sirius grinned a bit.

"Well, first thing's first…" Remus accio-ed all the liquor in the house and destroyed it to a cringing Sirius. Remus then put his rather extensive knowledge of cleaning and repairing spells to use so that the place looked at least a bit decent. He then led Black to the kitchen where Teddy was sitting.

The boy looked just like Remus, and even though he was a little metamorphagus, he was keeping his appearance his normal one today. Short, sandy hair and light amber eyes looked up at Sirius nervously. He was five years old.

"I made you something," Teddy spoke shyly, holding up a piece of paper for Sirius who took it and held it for Remus to see. It was a very basic drawing of two stick figures. One was small and was obviously Teddy, the other taller and with long black hair. They were both smiling.

Sirius blinked back a tear and leaned over to ruffle the little boys' hair. Remus looked on approvingly before saying "C'mon, get your coat; we are going on a little errand…"

Teddy hopped up and ran to the hallway, retrieving his small pea coat from the hook and putting it on, waiting by the door anxiously. He had obviously warmed to his Uncle again, even after the long absence from his life.

The two older men and the little boy walked down the street to the apparition point where Lupin had knowingly set up a portkey for them all to take. He didn't like making Teddy travel like this, but for what he had planned, it was an absolute necessity. They all held on tightly, Teddy in Remus' arms and they jerked forward in suspended time before landing in the middle of a street somewhere.

Sirius looked around and recognized it as Godric's Hollow. The Potters' house could be seen at the edge of town, but they were currently standing in front of the cemetery where James, Lily, and Harry Potter were all buried.

"Time to make peace with this, Sirius," Remus looked at his friend encouragingly as Sirius approached the wrought-iron gate with hesitation.

**A/N: Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Any feedback is appreciated, and reviews are loved and cherished of course!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thanks for taking the time to read this fic! I appreciate each and every one of you! **

Sirius hesitated before opening the gate and walking towards the two headstones. He knelt down by Lily and James' first, not making eye contact with the newer, less faded one next to theirs.

"I miss you both so much. I know I haven't been to visit in a while, and I'm sure you both already know I'm married and I fucked that one up royally…no surprise there huh Prongs?" Sirius laughed to try and hold back tears as he places his thin, tattooed hand on the weathered stone.

"But you are with your son now and I know you are all so happy…" he couldn't hold back the tears as his voice broke over "son". They didn't flow readily, but they were enough to wet his cheeks. Remus held Teddy's hand tightly at the edge of the cemetery as they watched. Sirius moved over to Harry's grave and fell into a sob.

There were fresh flowers lying on top of the dirt, from Ginny most likely, and Sirius' body was wracked with the most painful cries he had ever emitted.

"Fuck this and fuck everything!" Sirius said, gasping for breath between the words, he was so angry that Harry had been taken from his world and the lives of everyone he cared for. It wasn't fair. It would never be fair. "I'm so fucking angry at you Harry I really am…"

Remus was behind Sirius a few seconds later, holding his shoulders as the man cried over the grave. Sirius wasn't usually full of emotion, and the way he was expressing it told Remus that he was hurting more than they all realized, and with good reason. Little Teddy stood next to the pair of men, looking on with a sadness that no little boy should ever have to experience.

"Just tell him…" Remus pushed and Sirius slammed his hand on the marker violently before pulling back into another fit of tears.

"You left me…I loved you so much, you were the son I never had and I promised James I would take care of you and I wasn't even there! You were gone and I never got to say goodbye!"

Remus clenched his best friend's shoulder tightly to show he was there for him. It hurt Moony just as bad to see the pain etched on the ex-convicts face. It was more pain than twelve years of Azkaban brought, or his holding in the Veil. It was a soul-destroying pain. It was love.

"Say goodbye to him now Sirius…I know you said it at the funeral, but let it go…"

"Harry forgive me please…I've treated your best friend and my wife so horribly…she's never going to forgive me and you won't either but I just missed you so damn much. My life is so empty without you…you are the perfect man, the man I wished I was and it was too soon…"

"Much too soon," Remus echoed. Teddy reached up and held Sirius' other hand and the marauder picked up the little boy in a fierce hug, crying on his little pea coat. Remus let the sweet moment happen, with Teddy clutching tightly to his Uncle's shirt before he picked his son out of Sirius' arms and urged him to lay it all to rest.

"I need to move on with my life Harry…I need to let this go and it is so damn hard, but bloody Remus thinks it will be good for me," Sirius tried to laugh at it, "I love you and you will always be missed by me."

Sirius leaned over and kissed the gravestone lightly before standing up and brushing the dirt off the knees of his jeans. Remus gave his friend a small, approving smile as they all said a final farewell to the Potter family and walked out of the cemetery.

"Feel better?"

"I feel like shit…"

"You know what I mean Pads," Remus arched an eyebrow and Sirius sighed.

"I feel lighter, I do."

"Then let's go see your wife," Remus smiled, and although Sirius looked quite apprehensive, he walked with Remus and Teddy down the small road of Godric's Hollow until they reached Ginny Potter's house at the end. Remus had to nearly drag Sirius to the door before he knocked lightly on it.

It took a few minutes, but Ginny came to the door wearing a grey t-shirt and some jeans. She looked exhausted and she beckoned the men and Teddy in.

"I'm more than happy to see you Remus," she said, leaning up to give him a kiss on the cheek before bending to her knees to envelop Teddy in a hug. The little boy squealed in delight, "But I am not happy that you are here Sirius…"

"Understandable," he said humbly as she stood up and squared her shoulders at him. She was rather intimidating at times for such a tiny woman and her look nearly brought him to her knees.

"You can't see her…" Ginny said finally.

"Let him, please…" Remus urged her and she gave the werewolf a scathing look.

"Do you know what she has been through? She turned up here in the middle of the night sobbing because of you! You have_ no_ idea…"

"Don't crucify the man, alright…he's trying to save his marriage.." Remus whispered. He hated all this fighting in front of his son, and he wished sometimes that Tonks didn't have to work.

"Then save it somewhere else, not in my house…" Ginny said, really worked up about it, mostly because she had rocked Hermione to sleep herself.

"Please let me see her…" Sirius all but begged. His eyes were hollowed and sad and after some heavy sighing and hands on her hips, she agreed.

"I gave her a mild sleeping draught so she could rest, so she probably won't wake…but she's in the guest room," she waved him towards the hallway and he went instantly, passing by the room Ginny and Harry used to share as a sad pang hit him and then baby James' room. He finally made his way into the guest bedroom where he saw Hermione in a mess of tangled blankets snoring ever so slightly from the draught.

He gingerly walked over to the bedside, and after realizing she was really under, he crawled into bed next to her and held her close to him. It was the first time he had held her in months, and it set off another wave of emotions. He couldn't believe he was letting himself be such a prat about everything, but he couldn't help it. He was sober for once and emotions were hard to handle when they came barreling at him like a rogue bludger.

He nuzzled into her hair, which was a little messy from sleep and took a deep breath of her earthy scent that he had missed. He rubbed his hands up and down her arms slightly and she fidgeted in her dreamless sleep but didn't awaken.

"I'm so sorry 'Mione, I wish I could take everything back and you would forgive me," he told her, knowing that this could very well be the last time he held her like this. He knew that even an apology couldn't fix the six months of fights and harsh words and lack of anything resembling the love that was currently surging through his body for her. He had to admit that Remus was right; he didn't even know his wife anymore. What if she had fallen out of love?—it didn't seem like she had after Remus had told him she had cut it off with George – but what if he couldn't be the man for her anymore.

His stomach hurt and he groaned, feeling like complete crap from the crying and the lack of a hard beverage. He kissed her softly on the cheek and rolled off the bed before returning to Ginny and Remus who were talking amiably in the living room. Teddy was bouncing on her knee happily.

"Well?" she asked, her pissy voice coming back and Sirius took a seat next to the fiery red-head. But she wasn't as harsh this time around.

"I just said hello to her, I didn't do anything that you wouldn't approve of," he winked at her, but sadness filled his voice.

"When she wakes up, I'll tell her to go home, if that's what you want?"

"It is, thank you Gin," Sirius smiled.

"Would you like to see James?"

Sirius' face lit up in the same way it had when he held Teddy once again. Teddy was excited too, loving the little baby and feeling like a big brother in his own right. Ginny moved to get him and Remus patted Padfoot on the knee, "Proud of you mate…"

"It's only day one…don't say anything yet…"

Ginny came back with the happy little James, who was clapping his hands at the sight of Remus and Teddy. But instead, she tentatively handed him to Sirius who held James at arm's length and almost lost it again at the sight of his eyes. They were Lily's…it was so fitting. Sirius finally hugged the baby boy close to him, rubbing his back affectionately.

James was a happy baby, and though he hadn't spent the last sixth months around Sirius at all, he felt comfortable with him again right away, and Ginny looked on happily, knowing that Harry would be so proud to see their son and Sirius reunited.

"This has been the best day I've had in a long while," Sirius admitted. He hadn't felt any semblance of happiness in months…but now he was in a house with all of the people he cared about, with the rest of the Potter's just down the street, looking after them all. He felt a will to live again, to be the man he knew he could be for Hermione, and for the two young boys in the room.

"Welcome back, Padfoot," Remus grinned.

**A/N: Hope you guys liked this chapter. Reviews are loved and cherished!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Thanks for reading! I hope you guys are enjoying this story! This will be the second to the last chapter and reviews are still loved and appreciated! Lyrics from "One More Night" by Maroon 5**

**000**

"**So I cross my heart and I hope to die, that I'll only stay with you one more night"**

**000**

Hermione groggily awoke in Ginny's guest bedroom a few hours later and stretched out lazily like a cat. She felt both rested and troubled at the same time as the memory of her emotional night flooded back to her. She called out for Ginny and heard the red-head tromp down the hallway before peeking into the room. James had a bottle in his mouth and she looked relieved to see her friend up.

"How are you feeling? You missed the party…" she giggled.

"What party?" Hermione asked, brushing her messy hair out of her eyes as she sat up.

"Remus, Teddy, and your husband dropped by. Teddy played with James a bit. They wanted to see you but you really needed your sleep. Sirius said he'd be waiting for you at home…" Ginny said with a hopeful tone, trying to smile at her best friend a bit but Hermione wanted nothing to do with the news.

"He can go to hell and take Remus along with him if they were trying to convince me that everything is okay. Because it is certainly not okay!" she decided, getting up and brushing past Ginny in the doorway of the room.

"Okay then…well…you also got some letters from George. I took the liberty of reading them and then burning them, since I am his sister after all…" Ginny kept up, following Hermione as she slouched towards the kitchen.

"What did the letters say?"

"The first two were angry ones, and the last couple were sappy and rather pathetic. But he'll get over it. He's a big boy."

"Mhmm…" Hermione started to fix herself some toast. She was more than aware of the time and she had made up her mind about Sirius, which meant she had errands to run.

"Are you even listening to me? I thought you would be happy that Sirius came over here. For Merlins' sake he even went in the room and bloody cuddled with you. He was teary-eyed the whole time. 'Mione I think you should go home and see him," Ginny suggested, bouncing James to burp him.

"No," came the cold reply from Hermione's lips as she shoved some half-done toast in her mouth to avoid saying anything else.

"I want you to be happy!" Ginny said helplessly.

"You didn't even want me with Sirius in the first place! And now all of a sudden you are on his team!? Did you not see what a wreck I was last night? That was the final straw. I'm done with your brother and I'm done with him. I don't care if I am single and alone for the rest of my life but I will be Mrs. Granger-Black not a day longer!" she huffed, her curly, unruly hair whirling around her as she walked towards the floo. Performing some quick spells to tidy her clothes, smooth out wrinkles, and refresh her face; she then threw some powder into the floo and took off saying "_Ministry of Magic_".

**000**

"Fuck Moony, I feel like I am going to die," Sirius groaned. He was laying in his and Hermione's bed at Grimmauld place. Remus had tried his best to make his friend feel comfortable but his withdrawals were hitting him hard.

"You drank more than I thought you did…it's going to be hell for a while. But I'm sure Hermione will come home soon and she can take care of you. I'm proud of you Padfoot. I really am," the werewolf gave a small smile at his friend, who looked like complete shit. He was pale and said he felt downright awful.

"Well it's about time I grew up and got ahold of myself again. I did it once before—so it shouldn't be so bad," Sirius gave Remus a weak wink before the Professor said goodbye and took a sweetly slumbering Teddy with him.

Sirius thrashed under the covers for a while, trying to get comfortable but it was hard. He badly wanted to drown himself in drink again to make the pain go away, but all he could picture was Hermione coming home and being so happy and proud of him. They would make love (or at least Sirius would give his best effort in his current condition) and everything could go back to normal.

When he heard the door downstairs open and then close about an hour later, the animagus couldn't contain his excitement. The tell-tale click of her heels reassured him that it was her and he rolled out of the bed and slowly took the stairs one by one. He couldn't help but smile when he saw her, but when her eyes met his they only held sadness.

"I'm so glad you are here…" he said, reaching the landing and he was momentarily embarrassed of his voice. He knew he sounded sick and old.

"I've taken care of everything, all you have to do is sign on the dotted line…"she said quietly, handing him a manila folder. He took it from her as he scrunched his eyebrows and opened it. After scanning a few lines of it he realized they were divorce papers.

"'Mione…"

"I thought you at least deserved me coming in person to tell you. But I promise it will all be quick and painless and you can be rid of me," her voice cracked and it gave away her sadness. But she stood resolutely in the middle of the foyer.

"Did Ginny not tell you I came by to see you?"

"No," she lied. She had been trying to push that fact out of her mind when she was signing the paperwork at the Ministry.

"But I did…I laid with you and I said I was so sorry and I will tell you it all again. I fucked up Hermione. I've been a shitty husband and I know I don't deserve you but at least let me have some say in this before you up and leave me like this!" Sirius said desperately. He wanted so badly to tear up the papers in his hands but he held them stiffly instead.

"Although I appreciate the apology…and I owe you one too of course, about George….but it's been over for months now Sirius. We can't get back what we had. You don't know me anymore…"

"But I want to. _Let me_…" he breathed.

"I've made up my mind Sirius. I'm so sorry, but I really do need your signature," Hermione asked again. She was trying to be brave. She had always been taught to stick to what she believed in. And she believed that Sirius didn't love her anymore-although what he was saying sounded so much like the old Sirius that it was confusing her.

"I've quit drinking," he offered.

"You tried that before, and how well did that work out for you?" she put her hands on her hips stubbornly and he frowned.

"I want to get better for you and for Teddy and for James…."

"But you won't." she replied harshly and he snapped, his temper taking over. He walked into the kitchen and she followed tentatively.

"Fine, I'll sign your bloody papers…" he mumbled, reaching for a pen and finding the place for his signature. He signed it slowly and with a flourish before closing the folder and handing it back to her with a satisfied smirk.

"Thank you Sirius. I'll have someone come and collect my things," she said softly, turning to leave. She knew that she was dragging her feet for some reason. She couldn't move very fast. Something was keeping her and she didn't know why. It was over and yet it wasn't as easy as just a simple signature.

She was nearly at the door when she felt his hand on her shoulder. She stopped in her tracks and waited and after a second his other arm slipped around her waist and turned her to face him. He didn't give her a chance to say anything, he just kissed her.

Hermione had wondered what it would feel like to kiss Sirius for the last time. She had thought their last kiss had come quite some time ago…but she was in awe of this kiss. The divorce papers dropped out of her hand and lay forgotten on the floor as he pulled her close to him.

One arm wrapped down under her arse and pulled up her leg to wrap around his waist. The other followed suit as Hermione gave a little jump into his arms and he carried her up to their bedroom. He was an expert at maneuvering the stairs with her in his arms—as it had happened many times before the last six months of pain.

They hadn't had sex in six whole months. The desire was evident between them as they kissed, but it was tinged with other things-anger, sadness, hope, finality. It was the most emotional kiss they had every experienced.

When they were in their bedroom he set her down on the bed and crawled on top of her, his pains forgotten. He felt like a new man. He felt like his wife was back and he wanted to worship the ground she walked on for not leaving.

Hermione, on the other hand—was facing an entirely different set of feelings. She had come there to get a divorce and now she was about to have sex with her husband after being desperate for his touch for months. But she was stubborn. And heartbroken. And she knew that sex wasn't the answer.

"Just one more night Sirius…" she whispered. He broke away from kissing her neck and stared at her with sadness in his stormy grey eyes.

"One more night," he nodded. It nearly tore him in two but he understood. Maybe one day they would come back together again and be the perfection he knew them to once be. But tonight, all that mattered was saying goodbye, and doing it well.

Their frustration quickly manifested itself into them divesting of their clothes quickly and with as much tearing of fabric as possible. He thrust himself into her the moment she was free of her panties and they gripped each other tightly as he rocked inside of her.

There was nothing extra, just pure raw lust and passion. It was the passion that had always been in their relationship, and the intensity of it shocked both of them. It had been so long and she came for him over and over, screaming out his name before he finally lost himself inside of her.

There was no cuddling or kissing. That would have made it too hard. They fell into a dreamless sleep and awoke twice more in the middle of the night for repeats—each getting more desperate and frantic than before. By the morning they were sore and scratched from each other. Hermione woke first, grabbing a fresh outfit out her drawer and slipping it on after a hasty shower. She kissed her sleeping soon to be ex-husband and said a silent, tearful goodbye before packing up a few necessities and walking out the door of Grimmauld place.

**A/N: I know it is sad..but there is still one more chapter! Please review if you read!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I want to thank everyone who supported, favorite, followed, reviewed, and read this story. It was a little idea that blossomed and I enjoyed giving it you guys. I hope you enjoyed it just as much and find the ending what you hoped it would be. I just couldn't leave a supposedly angst-y story well enough alone!**

**One Year Later**

"James come here! That is not food!" Sirius laughed as the light of his life with tufts of messy black hair walked towards him with Sirius' wand. The little, now two-and-a-half year old boy was sucking on it while Ginny looked on frantically. Sirius assured her it was okay and took the wand away from James before picking the boy up in his arms.

"Snuffles!" James smiled, having begged Sirius to play with him in his dog form all morning and Sirius looked to Ginny and Remus who gave him happy shrugs. The animagus quickly transformed into the large black dog and barked happily as James and Teddy began chasing him around the living room of Grimmauld place.

After Hermione had moved out, Sirius had invited Ginny and James as well as Remus, Tonks and Teddy to have rooms at the house to stay at whenever they so desired. He had plenty of space and they took him up on the offer frequently to help with his broken heart. None of them had been in contact with Hermione. They had all tried, even Sirius, but their owls all went unanswered and shortly after she had left him early that fateful morning Remus informed them that she had quit her job at the Ministry. It was easier for Sirius that way, to quit her cold like that. He quit drinking as well and today marked his year anniversary of being sober as he was currently celebrating with his two favorite children.

All three of them, and even Tonks sometimes, wondered about Hermione because she had never officially pushed the divorce papers through. Sirius was in a state of limbo with his marriage, but he wasn't in a hurry to run off and date. He knew he was getting up there in years and had no desire to try and replace the love he once had that he now took responsibility for ruining. He still wore his small silver wedding band on his hand and no one ever questioned why he never had taken it off.

In a sense they all still hoped she might come back. Ginny missed her best friend desperately. Remus worried about her well-being and mental health often—hoping she hadn't had some sort of breakdown. And of course Sirius missed his wife. He often reminisced to himself about happier times and kept the picture of them on their honeymoon by his bedside. Sirius was often shocked how easy it had been to forget the bad since she was gone. He had even reached out an made amends with George, who apologized profusely for what he had caused in their marriage and Sirius, like the gentleman he had grown back into, assured him it was not his fault.

As Sirius looked back on their fights in the days before she left and the final moments of making love to her, he tried his best to remember the passion that fueled them instead of the gut-wrenching loss that he would sometimes awaken to in the middle of the night. He still wasn't used to her presence not being around, and wished he would have enjoyed it in the months before she left instead of being drunk or unresponsive to the world.

He also visited Harry's grave on a weekly basis. It helped him to heal and to keep on the right path for James as well as for Teddy. Sometimes the man could swear he heard Harry talking back.

**000**

Hermione sat in her small apartment in London holding her two and a half month old daughter in her arms and cooing to the precious baby girl. She hated raising her alone but knew that it was her only option at the moment. A few weeks after she had left Sirius she had realized she was pregnant after getting sick at work. After going to a Healer at St. Mungo's, her fears were confirmed and she promptly quit her job, took her savings out of Gringotts and moved into a modest apartment by herself. She cut off all ties with her friends and threw their letters in the fire before reading them. Eventually they just stopped owling. She had wanted so badly to read what they had wrote but she knew it would be too hard and she might have broken down and asked for help.

Nearly the second after she had left Grimmald place a year ago, Hermione knew she had made a grave mistake. She loved Sirius so much it hurt, but she didn't know if she could trust him to change. She had no idea if he was even alive and well and the thought scared her. Being alone hurt her, but she didn't want to hurt him anymore than she already had.

During her pregnancy, she had plenty of time to think about how things had deteriorated in her marriage, and to try and forgive herself for her affair with George. She knew she had made a mistake and had to move on. But when the Ministry inquired about the divorce papers she had requested, she wrote back saying that her and Sirius were merely separated, not divorcing. She just couldn't bring herself to make that next step and figured that if Sirius wanted it, he could go to the Ministry himself. She hadn't heard anything more of the matter and assumed now, as she held their baby, that she still had a legal husband.

It was this fact that prompted her decision to go to Grimmauld place. Her daughter Cassie looked so much like Sirius. She had his eyes and she looked into those eyes every day. They only served as a reminder for her and she knew that Sirius—regardless if they ever got back together—deserved to know his daughter. She didn't want child support, and she hoped she was making that very clear since she had supported the entire pregnancy on her own. There was no way she could feel comfortable taking his money after the horrible things she had done to him. But yet she just wanted Sirius to see her, to know she existed and came from him, not another man.

The resemblance between Cassie and Sirius didn't stop at the eyes. She had small wisps of black hair on her soft little head and dimples that reminded her so much of him when the baby smiled. Hermione loved that she could hold a small piece of him in her arms every night.

She had no idea if she made a good mum though. Cassie seemed happy enough, but she was a quiet little child and barely cried. Hermione found what she needed in books (of course) and tried her best at raising her, oftentimes wishing she had help but was too stubborn to ask for it.

Hermione didn't even know if it was a good idea to walk back into Sirius' life so abruptly. For all she knew he could have a girlfriend, or be living somewhere else. He could slam the door on her. But something inside of her nagged her to find out, for the baby's sake—or at least that was what she told herself.

The truth of the matter was that Hermione had never once stopped loving him. She had forgiven him. And she wanted him back.

She dressed Cassie up in a little grey jumper to match her eyes and some miniscule socks and shoes. She wrapped her up, grabbed her baby supplies and headed for Grimmauld place with a nervous stomach and a hopeful heart.

**000**

Remus watched Teddy ride on Sirius' back as the two of them chased James over the couch cushions they had turned into an obstacle course. Sirius didn't mind wrecking his house if it was for the children, and Remus smiled seeing how good he was with the two boys.

The doorbell rang, chiming three times slowly into the interior of the old house. Tonks stopped her singing from the kitchen where she was fixing lunch and Ginny looked oddly at the door. All of the company they ever had was inside. Sirius and the boys kept playing and Remus got up slowly to get the door.

The werewolf walked down the long, old hallway and slowly opened up the heavy front door. The sight in front of him almost made him pass out. He couldn't believe that Hermione Granger was standing there in the flesh after having been gone out of their lives for almost a year to the date. Holding the cutest little girl, no less.

"Remus…thank Merlin…" she whispered and she looked like she was on the verge of tears. He walked out onto the porch and shut the door behind him so they could have a moment alone and he could gather his racing thoughts.

"Is that Sirius'?" was the first thing that came out of his mouth. She nodded and held out baby Cassie for Remus to hold. He took her in his arms and she could see him fall in love instantly. It was hard not to, she was beautiful.

"Why didn't you tell him? Me? Ginny? We could have helped you darling…" Remus' voice softened. When he had seen her standing there he had the right mind to yell at her for leaving Sirius with a broken heart, but now he just couldn't.

"I didn't want Sirius to feel obligated. I wanted to give him a chance to move on and maybe find love again. And I don't want his money. I just want him to see her…" Hermione reiterated. Lupin nodded with a smile, rocking Cassie back and forth.

"Hermione, he's still as in love with you as the day you left. I don't know how he's going to react, but I am glad you made the decision to come back. Please tell me you won't disappear again," he looked at her with his stern academic glare and she shook her head promptly.

"Only if he wants me to. I still love him. That's why I never pushed the divorce papers through," she explained and he glanced down at her left hand. She was wearing both her wedding band and her engagement ring.

Their conversation was interrupted by Ginny bursting out the front door and nearly screaming. Remus gave her a look of warning as the read-head looked back and forth between Hermione and the baby in Remus' arms. She finally flung her arms around her best friend.

"You bitch! You left me! And went off and had a kid? What the hell is wrong with you?" Ginny laughed through tears as she nearly strangled Hermione with her hug. Hermione broke down and cried back. She had missed her friends, she had missed general human contact. All she had had was baby Cassie.

"Gin, meet Cas," Hermione smiled and Remus handed the happy baby to Ginny who took her reverently.

"She looks just like him," Ginny smiled at the baby, holding one of her small hands lightly.

"I know," Hermione said proudly, "Is Sirius inside?" she asked, suddenly nervous.

"Playing with my son and James. Tonks is making lunch, I'm sure she wouldn't mind fixing another plate for you…" Remus said.

Suddenly, her nerves hit Hermione full-force. "Maybe I should leave. Maybe it isn't the right time to tell him."

"Nonsense. She's too beautiful to be kept a secret any longer…" Ginny decided, opening the door with the arm that was not carrying Cassie and marching decidedly back inside. Remus nearly had to drag Hermione in with them.

"Sirius!" Ginny called out authoritatively. She functioned as the universal mother now in their little conglomerate of a family and Sirius never questioned her. The happy barking ceased and he walked into the hallway in his normal form. Hermione blushed at the sight of him and almost cowered behind Remus' tall form. Tonks came out of the kitchen and watched her cousin look from Ginny with the unfamiliar baby to the bushy halo of hair protruding from behind Remus' back.

"Stop being a coward," Remus whispered to her and pushed her forward out in the open. She had no choice to stare and be stared at by Sirius. She could hardly believe that he had seemingly gotten more handsome in a years' time. He looked healthy. His face was full and glowing and he looked years younger.

"'Mione…" he whispered in shock and she took a tentative step forward. He crossed the rest of the distance in two easy strides and hugged her close to him, his hands buried in her hair and her face pressed against his chest. They held each other for a long time like that before she backed away.

"I'm so sorry I just showed up and ruined your afternoon…" she apologized, glancing down at the confused looking Teddy and James who had come out of the living room from playing, "I just wanted you to meet someone…and I just couldn't wait any longer."

Hermione walked to Ginny who gave her the baby. She held Cassie close before walking back over to Sirius.

"Say hi to Daddy, Cassie," Hermione whispered and Cassie instinctively reached her little chubby hands out towards Sirius. He regarded the baby with a look of instant love and nervousness before taking her hesitantly in his arms. He held her knowingly, skilled from the practice of holding and playing with James and Teddy. Remus walked over to his wife and held her hand as they watched the moment unfold. Ginny picked up James and held her son close to her, wishing Harry could be seeing this.

"She's…she's….." Sirius mumbled incoherently as he looked at his daughter for the first time.

"She's yours. She's ours," Hermione finished for him. She could see some tears forming in his eyes as he looked from the precious new life he was holding and back to her. Ginny realized that this moment was better left as a private one and shooed Remus, Tonks and the boys into the kitchen, closing the door behind them.

"She's perfect Hermione, but why now…why has it taken you so long? Why didn't you tell me?" he begged for answers. He hated that he hadn't been there to see the beautiful little girl come into the world. He felt like an awful father and he had only known her for five minutes.

"I was scared. I was a fool for leaving, but I was too proud for my own good. I'm so sorry for everything Sirius I really am…"

"It's over love, I've moved on. I'm a changed man. I've gotten my life back together and I am happy. All I was missing was you and now you are here…there's no need to fight anymore. We've already lost too much time," he told her, bending to kiss her on the forehead.

"I never submitted the papers…we are still married," she gave him a small smile.

"I figured as much, it was the last shred of hope I was holding onto, that maybe one day when I least expected it, you would come back. And you did…but with a present…." He grinned at the baby in his arms.

"I missed you," Hermione said tearfully.

"I love you," Sirius replied.

"I love you so much more…" she said back, wanting to add a thousand things more but he closed the foot of space between them and they both held their baby for the first time together as he gave her a longing but sweet kiss on the lips. She couldn't believe she hadn't kissed the man in a year and yet she was just as in love as on their very first date. He was her other half, and she was glad she hadn't waited a day longer to see him.

"Welcome home," Sirius smiled at her and Cassie giggled happily between them. She had taken to Sirius so quickly. It was just so natural.

"Harry would be so proud if he could see you now," Hermione kissed her husband once again. She felt complete. All of her nerves had left her. She was safe and happy and whole.

"He'd be proud of both of us," Sirius nodded, parting from his wife to hold up Cassie and kiss her on the forehead.

Neither of them ever spent one more night apart from that day forward.


End file.
